Why ban goal-post dunking and not the Lambeau Leap?

Mar. 26, 2014
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New Orleans Saints tight end Jimmy Graham (80) dunks the ball over the goal post after a touchdown against the New York Jets during the game at MetLife Stadium. / Robert Deutsch Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY

by Jim Corbett, USA TODAY Sports

by Jim Corbett, USA TODAY Sports

ORLANDO â?? The No Fun League has gone from banning props such as Terrell Owens' sock Sharpie, Chad "Ochocino'' Johnson's using the pylon as a putter after scoring a touchdown to outlawing the crossbar dunk after New Orleans Saints tight end Jimmy Graham knocked one off kilter last season.

The new interpretation was voted in Tuesday extending the ban on celebratory props to make it an unsportsmanlike penalty to dunk over or punch the goal post after scoring a touchdown.

"When the competition committee defined unsportsmanlike celebrations and celebrations, it grandfathered in the Lambeau Leap provided that only one person jumps in the stands,'' St. Louis Rams coach and competition committee member Jeff Fisher told USA TODAY Sports Wednesday. "And it also made it illegal to celebrate using anything as a prop whether it was a pen or a ball or what have you, but that allowed players to in essence use the goal post as a prop to dunk or shoot, whatever.

"And then last year, we had an incident in one of the games where there was a dunk and the goal post was tilted and the game was shut down for about 25 minutes until they could get the goal post corrected.

"And that's uneccessary.''

So call it the Jimmy Graham Ban that has left dunking to the NBA.

Fisher was asked if it was a tight end or a wide receiver who was responsible for Tuesday's clarification.

"I'm not sure,'' Fisher said, a tweak of Graham's dispute to be paid the higher franchise tag befitting a receiver rather than a tight end with the Saints. "And when he dunked and the goal post shifted, then, he used it as a punching bag.

"And we're not going to penalize back to back. But the dunk is going to be a penalty.''

One reason why: Player safety.

"Can you imagine if someone had a hamstring issue after a 20-minute delay in the game because we allowed players to dunk on the goal post?'' Fisher asked rhetorically.

Not only were the Falcons the team the Saints were playing when Graham knocked the goal post askew, but the former Falcons ringleader of the post-touchdown celebratory dunk is now retired.

"I know the guy that we had the last five years, Tony Gonzalez he was the pioneer of many things,'' Smith told USA TODAY Sports. "I'm glad that Tony's not here because that's a conversation that you wouldn't want to have, but you'd have to have.

"It did take a significant amount of time to get the goal post level. But they have clarified that now the goal posts are considered props. So not only is the dunk illegal, but you won't be allowed to use it as a punching bag either.''